Bluff
by Harley McCoy
Summary: No matter how old you are, some things will never change.


February 9, 2010

**Summary: **No matter how old you are, some things will never change.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Codename: Kids Next Door or anything affiliated, only the idea.

Bluff

"What the hell are you doing?!" Her voice was shrill, edged with animalistic fury. Mushi froze, taking in a sharp breath. Flashes of shock shuttered in her pupils before settling on fear as the younger Sanban watched her sister soak up more of the, now, messy room of hers. "What . . . the hell . . . are you doing in my room?!!" In a rage, Kuki lunged at her sister who deftly avoided her. Catapulting off Kuki's bed, Mushi landed with a _thud_ in the doorway.

Kuki shook off the costume necklaces, and tops that Mushi in her exploration of her sister's room had discarded on the floor. Her bed sheets in disarray, her draws pulled out and pouring with clothing, wrinkled and askew, Kuki was bubbling . . . and not in a good way. Shaking with anger that her room – her space! – had been so invaded, death was the only punishment that was justifiable for such an act.

Genki Sanban was sitting at the kitchen table downstairs when the hanging ceiling light jumped from the ruckus above. Her mother had warned her that she had faced nothing, to wait until both her daughters were older, and her mother was right. _Bam,bam,bam_. Genki could hear her daughters running from Kuki's room into Mushi's. Rubbing her temples, she put her pencil down, knowing that she would have to desist from her work to take care of the situation upstairs.

Mushi had stripped herself of all the clothing she had "borrowed" from her sister's closet: the orange sweater her sister's boyfriend gave Kuki after he out grew it, sunglasses Kuki had acquired, a tiger pattern wrist band, a green clover necklace, gold hoop earrings, and a yipper belt buckle. Without hesitation Kuki weaved and vaulted over each item, using the door frame to swing into Mushi's room. Filled with rainbow monkeys, neither felt any pain of hitting the floor by way of Kuki's tackle. Having pinned her sister to the floor, Kuki shrieked, "You were at my make-up, too!" Mushi's face caked with lip stick, blush, and eye shadow. "That was expensive!"

"Why don't you cry about it, teenager?" the younger Sanban girl spat, refusing to cave to her sister's threatening demeanor.

The older Sanban girl growled. Kuki spotted a forlorn rainbow monkey, watching the sisters unflinchingly. Without missing a beat, she grabbed the monkey, pushing herself into a standing position. Out of Mushi's reach she held the rainbow monkey. "I wonder if you'll go in my room and touch my stuff if I twist its arm off."

"NO! Not my Never-be-sad rainbow monkey!" Mushi cried, tears welling. Before anything happened, both girls heard the familiar sound of their mother clearing her voice.

"Kuki, give your sister back her doll." Lowering her hand, so the rainbow monkey hung helpless in her grip, Kuki turned to her mother.

"Tell her to stay . . . out . . . of . . . my . . . room." Mushi wrenched her prized possession from her sister's hold, careful not to injury it in the process. Kuki whirled around, seeing her sister squeeze the plushy while sticking out her tongue. Kuki was about to say something when her mother cut her off.

"Mushi will be punished, so no fretting or pouting." Genki jerked her head to one side, indicating for Kuki to leave. Gritting her teeth, fists clenched, Kuki stomped out of her sister's room. Listening to Genki lay down the grounding to Mushi, Kuki felt slightly better about the whole ordeal. Grumbling about needing a better lock for her door, Kuki picked up the thrown items on the floor, taking careful measures to check their integrity.

"So that's what happened to Abby's hoop earrings." Kuki looked up, grinning, her anger and loathing of her sister dissipated. The Sanban girl laughed nervously, seeing her friend lean against her door frame, arms crossed with her usual smug expression. "Your father let me in," Abby provided, answering Kuki's unspoken question.

Abby Lincoln followed her best friend into her room, tip-toeing around the mess. "Part of her punishment better be to clean this mess up then again, maybe not. I don't want her in my room, period," Kuki exasperated, sighing so her bangs flipped up from the sudden breeze.

Abby chuckled. "I'd just be glad she didn't call your bluff." Finding a clear spot, she hopped on Kuki's bed. Kuki relaxed, joining Abby. Abby looked around fervently. "So, where yours? I know you didn't get rid of all of them."

"I'm not telling. _She_ may be listening as we speak. Plus, it's only one and it's from Wally. It's different," Kuki defended, thinking of its location on the highest closet shelf behind old shoe boxes. Its orange vibrant fur, goofy smile, and rainbow antenna, it was safely hidden where no one could find and harm it.

"Uh-huh." Abby looked at her friend pointedly, arms crossed.

"What?" Kuki asked with feigned innocence. Both friends stared at each other, eventually breaking the silence with laughter. Some things would never change.

~ End Bluff

**A/N:** I would really appreciate feedback, good or bad. This is my first fic for this fandom. I was trying to focus on characterization, in hopes that down the road when I write a multi-chapter fic, the characters would be captured well.


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